アメリカにおける道徳教育や学習科学分野の研究は我が国でもこれまで多く紹介されてきたが，その多くは教育動向を整理し，教授（teaching）の側面に焦点化したものであった。道徳性に関して学習者が何をどのように学ぶことができるのか，という学習（learning）の側面に焦点化した問いに関してアメリカでも問われてこなかった。アメリカでこの問いに取り組んだのがスティーブン・エレンウッドであり，彼のHow do we learn Virtue, Character, Morals and Social Responsibility?である。 エレンウッドはまず，道徳性などの対象（何を学ぶのか）に関して検討し，「品性の問い」として規定する。それは，道徳性の学びの対象である教育内容を，素直さや親切さといった人間としての良さを表している。次に，方法（どのように学ぶか）に関しては，①論理実証的な学習である命題的分析，②文学的情緒的な学習である物語的分析，③個人内的な学習である経験と深い省察の3 つに整理している。 エレンウッド論文は日本の学習科学と道徳教育に大きな示唆を与えている。まず学習科学については，学習者の認知的な側面だけでなく情緒的な面を含んだ学習を視野に入れている点，両側面を含んだ3 つの学習を具体的に示している点を挙げることができる。次に道徳教育に関しては，事例を踏まえて道徳性を学ぶ3つの学習を具体的に示している点，各学習の意義だけでなく限界をも示している点である。これらの示唆から，子どもの道徳性の伸長のためにそれら3 つの学習を相互補完しながら組み合わせて教育を創造することの重要性を指摘した。Until now, many studies in the fields of the educational sciences and moral education in America have been introduced to people in Japan; many of these studies have summarized trends in education and were focused on aspects of teaching. Yet, even in America sufficient studies have not been conducted focusing on aspects of learning such as the question of how scholars can learn morality and what they can learn in relation to it. The American researcher who has made serious efforts to address this question is Stephan Ellenwood in his article How do we learn Virtue, Character, Morals and Social Responsibility?Ellenwood first examines subjects such as morality (what do we learn) and establishes what we learn as a “question of character.” This question of character states that the educational content that is learned in morality should be human virtues such as kindness and honesty. Next, he classifies our learning methods (how we learn) into the following three categories: 1) propositional analysis that is a form of logical positivist learning, 2) narrative analysis that is a form of literary emotional learning, and 3) experiences and deep reflections that are forms of individualistic learning.Ellenwood’s paper has significant implications for moral education and the science of learning in Japan. Firstly, it suggests that the educational science should investigate not only the cognitive aspects of the learner but also the learning that includes emotional aspects as well; it also specifically describes three types of learning that include both of these aspects. Secondly, regarding moral education, it specifically describes three types of learning morality based on examples and describes not only the significance of each of these types of learning but also their limitations. Based on these implications, this paper pointed out the importance of creating an education that combines these three types of learning in a way that makes them complementary to one another in order to improve children’s morality.